What Truly Inspires You To Play Chess?
Most people start playing chess because of a family member or a friend. Yes, the good old brother of mine, who did not stop beating me in chess for my WHOLE ENTIRE FIRST YEAR PLAYING, is the one who got me into chess, and I enjoyed it. My primary goal was to defeat him.
Now that I think about it, time passes quickly when you have a goal in mind.
Typically, most people become interested in chess because of a cousin, brother, or sister, or perhaps even a friend at school. I recall my first year of playing chess; I was in the 5th grade, and there was a kid in school who would often play against me in chess at the cafeteria and on the playground. I only won one game at the end of the year and never met him again. Sadly, I don't remember his name, but these people helped me a lot in the beginning of my chess career. I honestly don’t think I would have been interested at all without these people in my life.
Experienced players begin to appreciate the amazing tactical patterns. I remember the first time I started analyzing grandmaster games. It was crazy because it was unlike any game I had ever played. First of all, I started playing chess using the double fianchetto without understanding the importance of controlling the center in chess. However, these individuals, such as Wilhelm Steinitz, Mikhail Tal, and Bobby Fischer, are truly remarkable chess players that I have come across. Young, bright, little H1 was excited to look up the classic games.
Plus, I had a few good books that offered insightful commentary on the most famous immortal games of past centuries. I just remembered wanting to play awesome games like those and knowing the techniques of how to beat strong opponents. Learning about more grandmasters let me see the beautiful side of strategic and tactical play in chess. Now, clearly, I didn’t exactly understand things at my age, but those times are memories to cherish.
Then you start paying attention to the modern world's great chess players. There are top chess players who are very popular and still play creative games. We literally have a new world champion who is pretty young for his age. He's been tearing the field with his calculation ability. But he's not alone, and if you're lost on who you should follow, obviously, a default answer is Magnus Carlsen, but look up the top 20 rated people in chess. I enjoy following grandmasters who play the opening I like, as I can learn something from each game I watch. But each player has a different personality, and it’s hard not to have a favorite.
Many players enjoy watching Hans Niemann's games. (Calling him the “bad boy” of chess.) There is nothing I appreciate more about a sport than researching a team or a specific player and rooting for them.
Keep on fighting til the end, staying focused in chess and in real life too.
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